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LILY COLLINS: WOMEN HAVE TAKEN<br />
OWNERSHIP OF WINE<br />
BY <strong>FRA</strong>NK ROUSSEAU,<br />
OUR CORRESPONDENT IN LOS ANGELES<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED<br />
34-year-old Lily Collins is the beautiful daughter of<br />
Genesis frontman Phil Collins. She is also an actress and<br />
the heroine of ‘Emily in Paris’, a series that has achieved<br />
global success and provided a showcase for the French<br />
luxury goods industry, for its fashion, gastronomy and its<br />
most iconic wines…<br />
In ‘Emily in Paris’, your character seems to be drinking a top<br />
French wine in every episode. Would you say that wine plays<br />
a pivotal role in the Netflix series?<br />
It’s nothing new, you know. Wine has become a part of the<br />
narrative symbolising social success and female empowerment.<br />
In the past, in films or series, the enjoyment of drinking wine<br />
was the prerogative of men. Women were side-lined and were<br />
simply onlookers as men savoured exceptional beverages – they<br />
weren’t able to indulge in the same way. Now, there are female<br />
sommeliers in all the top restaurants and I can assure you that<br />
they are every bit as competent as their male counterparts!<br />
So ‘Emily in Paris’ provides an amazing showcase for French<br />
wines…<br />
Absolutely! But the idea is not simply to introduce any old wine<br />
with no thought or strategy. The glass or bottle of wine must be<br />
a natural and integral part of the scene, in an organic way. They<br />
must adapt to the situation and not the opposite way around,<br />
because you can’t hoodwink viewers! They realise immediately<br />
when someone is trying to sell them something! You’re right<br />
in saying that the series is a showcase for the French lifestyle.<br />
I’ve been told that a lot of my fellow Americans were curious<br />
to know about the wines we taste, the restaurants we eat in<br />
and the brands of clothes we wear. I admit that Paris is in<br />
some ways idealised and fantasised in the series, but what’s<br />
important is promoting the destination. French appellations<br />
are synonymous with excellence and prestige. I read an article<br />
stating that wine is France’s second largest export industry<br />
98<br />
SPRING 2024 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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